Boot cleaning and polishing machine



Nov. 12, 1929. N. MARTINEZ 1,735,771

BOOT CLEANING AND romsame MACHINE Filed June 6, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 1Nov. 1-2, 1929.

N. MARTINEZ BOOT CLEANING AND POLISHING MACHINE Filed June 6, 1923 4Shets-Sheet 5 Nov. 12, 1929. N. MARTINEZ 1,735,771

I BOOT CLEANING AND POLISHING MACHINE Filed June 6, 192:5 4 sheets-sheet4" Fig.7

Patented Nov. 12, 1929 1 i NICOLAS MARTINEZ, or LERIDA, SPAIN UNITEDSTATES Par BOOT CLEANING AND POLISHING=MACHINE v Application filed June6, 1923, Serial No. 643,713, and in Spain June 12, 1922..

This invention relates to a boot cleaning bedded in and supported bythemasonry 3 polishing machine and consists in the provias shown in Fig.1.. Suspended by means of sion of a revolving Wheel mounted on averscrew-bolts from the arms 6 isa ring-shaped tical shaft and carryinghingedly arranged grating which is fitted with a plurality of [5]brushes for the treatment of different parts foot pads 11 made of ironor hard wood. The 55 of boots supported on a grating which is ring 5 isarranged so that the foot. pads are rigidly held abovethe wheel, meansbeing in a convenient position for use by occupants provided forapplying the brushes %to the ofseats7 mounted on top ofthemasonry .6.boots by the centrifugal action of weight-bal- In the constructionshown, there is accommo- 10 anc'ed levers. I dation for fivep'ers-onswhose boots will all so Fig. 1 of theaccompanying drawingsrepbe, cleaned by a single operation of themaresents a vertical sectionof the apparatus, the chine. The seats are supported by screwv brushesbeing omitted for the sake of clearspindles so that they can be adjustedto dif-, ness, and ferent levels in the usual manner. 7

15 Fig. 2, aplan ofthe same, partly in section, Connected to the shaft10*underneath the 65 and-also without the brushes. v foot support 5isvabrush wheel 1 which may Fig. 3 is a plan showing the preferred conbecomposed of a suitably stayed disc but struction of the brush wheel, andwhich is preferably, for the sake of lightness Fig. 4, a plan of theboot support. and cheapness, composed of a skeleton coin- 1 Fig. 5 is atransverse section showing the prising radlal arms of channel iron whichare 7 operation of the brushes, and dlstanced by transverse, light ironstrips, as

Fig. 6, a partial plan of the Wheel and of shown in In. the presentinstance the operating-levers. I 1 Y'there are ten. radial arms,and eachfarincar Fig. 7 is a composite view illustrating the fi at i s extremeendjabrush 12 for the treat.- 7 means for supporting the brushes whichoperm n o the sides and heel partsof, the boots ate on the upper part ofthe shoe. 7 7 supported ontheir 111g. -v A polygonal drum 7 Fig. 8lis,acomposite view illustrating the 2 h ving tensides, is supported on andS several parts of the brush whichoperates-on cur'edto thearms of thewheel 1 so as to rothe rear; and heelportion of the shoe;' tatewithinithe ring Connected to the upfi Fig. 9 is a composite vienillustratingone per edge of this drumare tenbrushes 13 for 8.0 r

of the cloth brushes adapted toipolish the thetre fi nt f the toe dinstep parts of. instep and'toe of the shoe. 7 the boots. The brushes 13arearranged over Fig.10 is'aeomposite View showing a type thespacesbetween the wheel armsso as to of frame on which the brush .ofFig.9.m'ay 01 in o opera ion alternately with the be mounted. a ibrushes 12,,By; this arrangementythejfric- The machine is preferablymounted in .a 011 Will b 'mor f I y distributed Q Ii cavity 8 surroundedby a circular. wall 16 of the wheel and a jerkless movement will be obmasonry, the top of the wall being flush with t'ained. There are alsofive brushes .14 conthe floor of a shop or with a pavementorthe lle e ton te Wheel arms n a ged 40 like. Steps 9 lead dow'nffrom the floor into.S0 as to be applied to the lower sides ofthe the cavity which is largeenough to provide s la r h s W01k'thf011gh accommodation for the machineoperator.- per ures'inthe gratingb. I The machine is composed of averticalsteel The-brushes aremounted onarms'fwhich shaftltl which issupported by balls Lin a stepare hingedly connected to the wheel abearingzarrangedrat the'bottomiofthe cavity they canfbe turned into andout of'operative 8. The upper end of the shaftis also supposition. "Thearms 12 of'the brushes 12 are ported by a ball-bearing which may befixed fitted with wei hted tailepieces 12 which, to some part of theshop fitting, butwhich is whilesuspended vertically from the hinge,preferably held in a frame worlijeomposed hold' thebrushes-ininoperative "oSiti-om'as 'i affair radial arms Whose enterentlstare em: shown dotted lines in Fig. '5. ijuringthe movement of thewheel, however, the tail pieces are tilted by centrifugal force so as toapply the brushes to the boots. This is shown by full lines in Fig. 5.The brushes 13 are similarly arranged on the drum 12 by means ofright-angled arms 13 whose tail pieces 13 are engaged by stirrupsformedjat the upper end of double-armed levers 13 pivoted to the wheel.The lower ends of the levers 13 are connected by rods 15 to weightedarms 16 which are suspended from hinges connected to the wheel. The arms16 tend to maintain the brushes 13 in the inoperative position showndotted in Fig. 5, and to turn them intothe operative position shown byfull lines under the action of centrifugal force when the wheel moves.16 inrestoring the brushes 13 to the inopertive oposition as soon as themachine stops.

The brushes 14 may either be controlled in a similar manner or adaptedto be set by hand in working position, The counter-weights areadjustable by means of screw-threads for. varying the leverage andthereby the effect of the centrifugal force.

According to theservices for which they are intended, the brushes aremade up of dif-' The operation m be diviaed into five stages, viz, theremoval from the boots of dust and mud; the application thereto of awaterproofing or colouring substance'; the rubbing of. such substanceinto the'l'eather', the'application of a polishing paste; and therubbing of the latter. F or eachofthese stages. a separate brushbrbrushes are used, the other brushes being mainta ned in inoperativeposition For cleaningthe boots theremay be one' brushmade withstilfbristles and one made up of linenorz the like," For the applicationof, the waterproofing sub-:

a c a co urin i I brih i I st 11 e. nd 10 g matte two halr LS es nature,

are used, and one bristleibrusli is used .forfthe rubbing in ime same.The 'application of the polishing'paste is also effected by means, oftwo hair brushes, andth e fina l'shine is produced by'means oftwobristle brushes and; two cloth brushes. This arrangement Iap pliestothe position 12 aswell as to the vposi tion 18, all theten brushes beingthus'utilized ,inboth cases. In the position ltit is sufficient tohave-one brush of suitable character for each stage of operation. I

The shaftlO is geared to a horizontal driving shaft 21 which may beoperatedby means of an electro-motor 22 or the like Springs 17 aid'thearms of time.

through the medium of two belts 23 of which one is crossed so thatmovement can beimparted to the shaft in either direction. As the machineis very easily operated, however, the shaft 21 may be fitted with acrank handle and rotated by hand. In the case of machine power, a brakedisc 3 is fitted on the shaft 10' so that the speed of the latter can beregulated by means of a brake band 24 arrangedvon said disc, the freeend of the band being connected to aflever or treadle 25 wherev by thebrake isyoperated.

The cleaning brushes are released for operation, and the brush wheel isrotated at a high speed. A few turns in each direction will besufficient for removing all dust and mud from the boots of the fiveclients occupying the seats." The cleaning brushes are then fixed ininoperative position, and the brushes for applying the waterproofing orcolouring substance are fixed in operative position, whereupon the wheelis rotated a few turns in each direction and at a'low speed. Thesebrushes are then restored to and fixed'in inoperative position whereuponthe rubbing brushes for the third stage o'fthe operation are releasedand the wheel 'is rotated a few turns in both direct-ions at high speed.The polishing substance is applied andthe final shine is'produced in asimilar manner, the. whole operation of cleaningand polishing beingcarried out in a very short space operator provides the hairbrushes witha' fresh supply of paste. f

The cleaning and rubbing brushes are au tomatically applied to the bootsas soon as the machine is set in rotation, and are automaticallywithdrawn asisoon as the'machine When the machine is erected in the openitis advisable to arrange the top bearing for the shaft 10 underneaththe wheell so thatthe entire mechanism will be situated underground."Between the workinglhours' the mouth of the cavity may besu'itably'covered, Other modifications maybe adopted to suit differentlocalities and conditions, and the actual arrangement also depends onwhether a the structure is of a temporaryorpermanent Iclaim:.' V 1 1 1.A boot cleaning apparatus including a mechanism pit open at the top, aplurality. of seats for patrons positioned about the'upper open edge ofthe pit, a skeleton'fra mework carried by 'the'upper edge of the pit, afoot,

work in the open centralportionof thepit, said :foot support being aring. like member provided withopenings andhaving foot rests During thechange of clients, the

support suspended from said skeleton'fram'e thereon opposite eachpatrons seat, a vertical shaft having itsllower .end .journalejd in thebottom. of theplt and its upper end jour naledyin' the skeletonframework, 1 a brush carrying frame carried by said shaft beneath saidfoot support, an upstanding drum mounted centrally of the brush supportand projecting within and above said ring like foot support,counterbalanced brushes carried by said brush frame and by said drum andadapted to be brought into operative position by centrifugal force whenthe frame 7 is rotated, and means for rotating said'shaft.

2. A boot cleaning apparatus comprising a support having a cavitytherein, a plurality of patrons seats arranged around the upper edge ofthe cavity, a ring like foot support tated, and means for rotating theshaft'so as 7 suspended in the cavity below the surface of said firstmentioned support and carried thereby, and a rotatable brush carryingdevice having a portion projecting upwardly into the ringrlike footsupport, and a plurality of brush devices carried by the portion of saidbrush carrier projecting into the ring like foot support and alsocarried by the intermediate and outer edge portions of said brushcarrier, and means for rotating said brush carrier.

3. A boot cleaning and polishing machine comprising a vertical rotatoryshaft, a circular wall surrounding said shaft, a radial frame workembedded in and supported by the upper part of said wall, the shaftbeing supported by said frame work, adjustable seats supported on saidwall and arranged about the frame work, a ring-shaped foot supportsuspended from said framework within the confines of the wall so that itcan be used by persons occupying the seats, a brush wheel secured to theshaft underneath the foot support, counterbalanced brushes 7 pivotallyconnected to said wheel for brushing different parts of boots placed onthe foot support when the brush wheel is roto operate the wheel andbrushes; 7

4. A boot cleaning and polishing machine comprising a vertical rotatableshaft, a stationary foot support arranged about said shaft, a brushWheel secured. to the shaft under the foot support, brushes connectedhingedly to said wheel, counter-weights connected to said brushes so asto hold them normally out of contact with boots placed on the footsupport and so as to turn them into contact therewith bv centrifugalforce when the wheel is rotated, and means for rotating the shaft so asto operate the wheel and brushes. r

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. NICOLAS MARTINEZ.

